23 After the Fire
by ccmal
Summary: Almanzo and Laura argue over waiting to get married. 23rd in the series


**After the Fire**

LHOP inspired fan fiction by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

Disclaimer: I do not own the Little House on the Prairie television series, book series, or any of the characters.

Almanzo laid in bed with his arms tucked under his head. Last night at this time he was trapped at the old Edwards place with Laura as they waited for the storm to pass. He shivered, unsure if it was from the cold or from the images racing through his mind. He would never forget what it felt like to be so close to her. It seemed impossible to wait any longer to make her his wife.

Laura tossed and turned, trying to clear her head of the visions from her night with Almanzo. Her pulse quickened as she saw him kissing her. She got out of bed and stared at her flushed reflection. She thought about what he had said to her yesterday. He wanted to get married now; he didn't want to wait any longer to know the woman in her. They had fought, and it almost ruined the tenderness they shared the night before. Laura's fingers touched her cheek and she shivered, thinking of how Almanzo had caressed her skin as they laid by the fire.

She climbed down the ladder and splashed cold water from the wash basin over her face. She dabbed at the drops with a towel. When she turned, she saw her father standing there.

"Up a bit late, aren't you Half-pint?"

"I couldn't sleep. I'm sorry if I woke you."

Charles put a hand on her forehead. "You're not feeling sick are you?"

"No, I was thinking about yesterday. I'm sorry you and Ma were so worried."

"I already told Almanzo I wouldn't say another word about it, so let's forget it."

He just had to bring up Almanzo's name when Laura was trying so hard to get him out of her mind.

Laura kissed her father's cheek. "I'm going to try and sleep now."

"I'll be driving you into town tomorrow morning, so you can stay in bed for a few extra minutes."

"Thanks Pa."

Charles shook his head once Laura had disappeared into the loft. By the flush on her face, he doubted she was thinking about her parents at all.

The horses stopped in front of the mill when Charles tugged on the reins. Laura, Albert, and Carrie climbed out.

"Have a good day," he called to them as they walked towards the schoolhouse.

"We will," they answered.

Laura spied Almanzo tossing sacks into Mr. Mayfield's sleigh. She broke away from her siblings and walked to the platform. She waved to Mr. Mayfield as he drove off.

"Hi Manly."

"Mornin Beth." He noticed the dark circles under her eyes. "Trouble sleepin last night?" he asked.

"Yes," she admitted.

"Me too."

She was glad she wasn't the only one. "We should probably talk about it some more."

Almanzo's eyes lit up. He wondered if she had changed her mind. "Listen Beth, I'm sorry I got mad. I hope ya know it's only cuz I wanna be with ya so much."

"Manly, I need you to understand, it took a lot for Pa to agree to let us get married next year. Once Pa gets something in his mind…well, let's just say he's very stubborn. I can't run off after he's made a sacrifice like that."

"What about the sacrifice I made by knucklin under so your pa would be happy?"

"What are you talking about? You're the one who said you didn't care how long you had to wait."

"I'll wait, but I ain't happy about it."

Laura's hand went to her hip. "And you think I want to wait?" she accused.

"That's not what I'm sayin."

The school bell interrupted their conversation.

"I have to go."

Almanzo grabbed her arm. He felt her tense up as she glared at him with eyes full of fire. "Beth, I just wanna show ya how much I love ya."

She sighed. "I want that too Manly, but not at the risk of hurting my pa."

"Listen, I'm headin out to Sleepy Eye in an hour to pick up some supplies for Doc Baker. Ya wanna have supper with me tomorrow night?"

"I'd like that." She lifted up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "See you tomorrow Manly." She walked off, still hurt he couldn't understand why they had to wait.

Almanzo watched her race off towards the schoolhouse. He hoped he would be able to convince her to elope. Waiting so long to get married wasn't something he was sure he could handle.

The snow fell in big white flakes. From inside the little house on Plum Creek, warm lights flickered in the front room. Laura peered out the window at the storm. Her thoughts were of Almanzo. Was he safe and sheltered from the storm or was he out there — somewhere between Sleepy Eye and Walnut Grove — driving on the open prairie, fighting the elements, and hoping to make it home safely?

Caroline rubbed Laura's shoulders. "He'll be all right."

Laura looked up at her with doubt-filled eyes. "I just wish I knew he was safe."

"You must have faith Laura; faith that he'll come home to you."

Laura embraced her mother as tears fell down her cheeks. Caroline stroked her hair.

"Let's pray," she said.

Laura nodded. She wiped away the tears. Holding tightly onto her mother's hands, she admired her strength. Caroline smiled at her and the two women bowed their heads in prayer.

Almanzo squinted as snow hit his face. The flame inside the lantern fought against the wind. He hoped it would stay lit. He was running out of matches.

"Whoa," he said to his horses.

He pulled the muffler closer to his mouth and stepped out of the sleigh. The constant trips to remove ice from the horses' noses made the journey home drag on even longer. He hoped he would find shelter soon. His mind wandered to Laura. What if he never got to hold her again?

Laura sat up in bed listening to the howling wind. Why hadn't she agreed to run off and get married this weekend? Almanzo wouldn't have been able to do that errand for Doc Baker. If anything happened to him, it would be all her fault.

Almanzo had begged her to elope. The other night proved they had trouble controlling their emotions, and he feared what might happen between them if they weren't careful. She had to admit it scared her too. She still hadn't figured out why she let the evening unfold the way it had.

Laura got out of bed and opened the shutters. The snow was falling faster than it had been earlier and great gusts of winds swirled the mounds of snow into deep drifts. Sick with worry, she paced the floor. She had a vision of Almanzo traveling in his sleigh, struggling to find shelter on the vast prairie. It frightened her to tears.

Charles heard footsteps pacing the floor upstairs. He glanced over at Caroline, who was sleeping peacefully. He pulled back the covers and climbed up to the loft. Laura was staring out the window.

"All that worry won't make him come home any faster," he said.

Laura wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "I can't help it Pa. What if he's out in this?"

"Almanzo is a smart man. If he was on his way home, I'm sure he'll find shelter."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"Half-pint, do you believe Almanzo will do everything in his power to make it home to you?"

"Of course."

"Then don't doubt that he'll do it."

Laura smiled. Her pa had more faith in Almanzo than she did. "I love you Pa," she said as she embraced him.

"I love you too. Now try to get some sleep."

"I will."

Almanzo cursed under his breath. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't budge his sleigh. Who knew how deep the drift was. He unhitched his Morgans and started walking. The lantern swayed in one hand as he tugged on the horses with the other. Almanzo shivered without the bear skins to keep him warm. He knew he had to find shelter soon.

It took Walnut Grove two days to dig out from the second blizzard in a week. Over two feet of snow had fallen during the night and people were just beginning to venture out of their homes to check on neighbors.

Charles and his family were huddled close together in the sleigh. They weren't sure if school would be open today, but they wanted to see how others had fared against the latest storm. They met Eliza Jane on the road.

"Miss Wilder," said Charles, "Why isn't Almanzo driving you into town this morning?"

The look of concern clear on her face, she glanced at Laura before answering. "He never made it back from Sleepy Eye. I suppose he stayed there instead of traveling during the storm."

"I'm sure you're right," replied Charles. "He probably wanted to wait until it was safe." Charles looked over at Laura, who didn't seem convinced. "I wish I had room to offer you a ride," he said to Eliza Jane.

"I'll walk alongside you Pa," said Albert.

"Oh no, you can't do that," replied Eliza Jane.

"Really, I don't mind."

Albert crawled out and the family made room for Eliza Jane to climb in.

"Thank you," she said to Albert. "I was very cold."

The Ingalls family and Miss Wilder headed into town. An anxious Laura gazed over at the Feed and Seed. She hoped Pa and Miss Wilder were right. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Almanzo.

Another day passed without a sign of Almanzo. The men in town decided to form a search party. Doc Baker wanted to go along, but they convinced him to stay where he was needed the most — Walnut Grove. Laura had also begged to go, but her pa forbade it. Besides, he told her, Eliza Jane would need some support too. Laura would go stay with her until the men came back. She knew nothing would convince her pa to let her go, so she packed a bag for the Wilder farm.

"Can I ride into town with you?" Laura asked Charles. "Miss Wilder and I will walk home together later."

"Sure, but you better hurry. I'm ready to go."

Laura collected her books and a basket filled with food for her stay at the Wilders.

Caroline hugged Charles. "Be safe," she whispered. "I hope you find him."

Looking over at Laura, Charles nodded. "Me too."

"If you need anything," Caroline said to her daughter, "just stop by the restaurant."

"Thanks Ma."

Laura waved at Caroline as the sleigh pulled onto the road — or at least where the road should be. It was a silent drive into town. Charles wanted to comfort her, but it seemed the only thing that would make her feel better was seeing Almanzo.

It felt strange standing in a group of men, hearing of how they would split up to look for Almanzo. Laura thought she was dreaming as the muffled voices swirled around her head. She wished someone would wake her up from the nightmare. The men began piling onto their horses when the faint sound of sleigh bells jingled through the air. Charles looked around. He thought the entire search party was already in town. Perhaps someone else decided to join them.

The ringing of the bells pierced Laura's ears. She missed hearing Almanzo's sleigh approaching her house the past few days. She glanced in the direction of the noise and saw a black sleigh pulled by a familiar set of horses.

"It can't be," she said to herself. As the sleigh got closer, she was sure they were Almanzo's Morgans. She ran towards them.

"Half-pint!" yelled Charles.

The Morgans galloped as Laura came into view. Almanzo tugged the reins hard and jumped down to catch Laura in his arms.

"Oh Manly," she cried, the tears stinging her cold cheeks. "I thought I'd lost you."

"It's okay Beth, I'm home now," he said with relief.

He rocked her back and forth, holding her close, not wanting to release her. He kissed the top of her head and smelled lemon verbena. The fear he had felt while he traveled through the blizzard returned to him. What if he never had the chance to hold her again?

Eliza Jane had been in the restaurant. When she saw Laura and Almanzo she ran to them.

"Almanzo!" she screamed, overjoyed at seeing her younger brother.

Laura stepped aside so he could hug his sister. She felt the strong hand of her pa on her shoulder. He hugged her.

"I told you all you needed to have was a little faith," he said.

As the group walked towards the restaurant, Doc Baker stepped up to them. Relief clear on his face, he said, "I sure am glad to see you Almanzo."

"Oh Doc, I almost forgot." Almanzo raced back to his sleigh and carried over a large box. "Do ya want this in your office?"

"That will be fine Almanzo. Why don't the rest of you go inside, I want to check him out to make sure he's okay."

"Aw Doc, I'm fine."

"Doctor's orders Almanzo."

Resigned to the examination, Almanzo pecked Laura on the cheek and followed the doctor to his office.

Charles, Eliza Jane, Laura, and Almanzo sat at a table inside Nellie's. The men from the search party were at the tables around them, chatting about how hard a winter they were in for. For the first time, Laura realized what tomorrow was.

"In all the excitement I forgot tomorrow was Christmas Eve," she told them.

"It sure is Beth, but I'm afraid I didn't get ya a present yet."

"Having you home safely is all the present I need."

Almanzo leaned over and kissed Laura. She placed her head on his shoulder. It felt so good to be close to him again.

"You got any special plans for Christmas?" Charles asked the Wilders.

"I haven't even put up a tree yet," said Eliza Jane. "Almanzo and I usually decorate it together, so I figured I would wait for him to come home."

"How about coming over to our place?" asked Charles. "We'll sit down for supper about six o'clock tomorrow night. You're welcome to join us after service on Christmas Day too."

The Wilder siblings looked at each other. "Oh, I don't want to be a bother Mr. Ingalls," said Eliza Jane.

"It's no bother at all. Caroline always cooks plenty of food, and the two of you are almost family. What do you say?"

"Well alright then, we'd be happy to join ya, Mr. Ingalls," said Almanzo as he clasped Laura's hand a bit tighter.

Caroline came out of the kitchen to fill up coffee cups. She beamed at Almanzo. "Anyone ready for more coffee?" she asked the group.

Charles held his cup out to her. "Thank you darlin."

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you're all right Almanzo."

"He's more than all right," said Charles. "He's celebrating Christmas with us. Eliza Jane will be there too."

"The more the merrier," said Caroline. "What a blessed Christmas this will be." Caroline shot a glance over at Laura. "I told you he'd be back," her eyes seemed to say.

On Christmas Eve the Ingalls family and the Wilders sat in the front room of the little house on Plum Creek eating apple pie.

"Everythin was wonderful Mrs. Ingalls," said Almanzo.

"You're welcome to have another piece of pie," Caroline replied.

"No thank ya. I don't think I could eat another bite."

"How could you?" asked Charles. "You had three helpings of supper and two pieces of pie." Everyone laughed.

"Almanzo has always had a big appetite," said Eliza Jane. "Mother used to say it was because he was a growing boy. I don't know what his excuse is now though." They all laughed again.

"My excuse is that I got stuck in a blizzard, had to drag me and my horses to shelter, and then repair my sleigh to make it home in time for Christmas."

"You never told us what happened," said Laura.

Almanzo shared his story of how he had started for home when the storm blew up and how the Morgans got stuck in a drift, forcing him to abandon the sleigh and seek shelter in an old barn until morning.

"I sure was happy to stumble across that farmer and his family. They shared some food with me and he helped me dig out my sleigh and repair the runner so I could get back home. I sure was worried Doc Baker would need those supplies before I got them here."

Laura reached for his hand. "Probably not as worried as we were about what happened to you."

Almanzo smiled. "God sure was lookin out for me."

"Amen," replied Caroline.

"It's gettin late. We should be headin home Sis."

"You're right," said Eliza Jane. "We still have a tree to put up."

"Let me get you one more cup of coffee before you head out," said Caroline.

"I'm gonna go hitch up the team," said Almanzo

"I'll help you," replied Laura.

The rest of the group watched as they bundled up and headed out the door.

"I wonder what she's going to help with," joked Charles.

Almanzo scolded Laura. "Ya shoulda stayed inside where it's warm."

"I never got the chance to give you a proper hello," she said with a smirk.

A crooked smile covered his face as he pulled her in close to him. "What kinda hello are we talking about?"

Laura's breathing was faster than it was just moments ago. She cupped his head in her hands and drew him into her. Her body felt good in his arms. The fear blew threw him again. Almanzo broke away from their kiss and gazed into her chocolate-brown eyes.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

The lump in his throat made it hard to respond. "No, it's just ever since I became a man I haven't worried much about takin risks. It's part of bein a farmer — ya buy things on credit and hope next year's crops pay off your debts. And since I was on my own, I wasn't hurtin nobody." He caressed her cheek. "But I ain't alone anymore. I told Doc Baker I would go get them supplies without even askin your opinion." He shook his head as he remembered the blizzard. "I was scared Beth, real scared. Scared I was gonna die without ya knowin how much I love ya."

She embraced him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know you love me."

"But we were angry at each other when I left. I hated knowin that."

"Me too," she admitted. "I wished I had agreed to run off and get married because then you wouldn't have been in Sleepy Eye in the first place. I knew if anything happened to you, it would be all my fault."

"It wasn't your fault. Mr. Crowley told me a storm was comin, but I thought I would beat it home, just like that weekend when your pa told me not to take ya on that sleigh ride. I guess I'm just too stubborn for my own good."

Laura laughed. "I never noticed you were stubborn."

"Very funny."

Almanzo began hitching up his horses. Laura thought he seemed distracted as he worked, but she said nothing. When he finished, he paused to pet Barnum and Laura was sure he had something on his mind.

"All set?" she asked, walking towards the barn door.

He reached for her arm and brought her closer. "Laura, I never shoulda asked ya to run off with me. I know you love your pa. I shouldn't ask ya to choose between us. Can you forgive me?"

"Oh Manly," she cried, collapsing into his arms. "I was going to tell you that I decided we should get married right away. I do love my pa, but I want to be your wife more than anything in the world."

Almanzo chuckled. "Well this is mighty strange ain't it? It's not that I want to wait Beth, it's just I don't want to do anythin to upset you or your pa." He smiled at her. "So we wait until August?"

"We'll wait until August," she confirmed.

"All right then, how's about one last kiss before we go inside?" Almanzo pulled her close and kissed her tenderly. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she replied.

They strolled back to the house with their arms around each other. Almanzo and Laura were glad they had settled the question of when they would marry. They knew it would be hard to wait, but there were lots of plans to keep them busy.

"This will be out first Christmas together," said Laura.

"The first of many," Almanzo replied.

She imagined what it would be like on their wedding day. She would look up into his blue eyes and say, "I do." They would be joined forever from that day forward. She would belong to him, and he to her. They would love one another for the rest of their lives. As they walked in the front door of the little house she saw the two of them in her mind — much older, sitting by the fireplace rocking together. Oh what a life they would live…and it had only just begun.


End file.
